Realizing the Impact of Employee Retention and Recognition

Any customer-savvy call center manager knows that his or her employees are not just numbers or statistics. Your staff – no matter how big or small – comprises the heart of your business. It’s one of your company’s most valuable assets (after all, the way you treat your employees is a future reflection of how they will treat your customers). Unfortunately, only 31 percent of organizations recognize and reward employees across the company for improving the customer experience, according to Forrester Research.

This means that there is significant opportunity for your business to gain a competitive edge by treating your call center agents the right way. Let’s take a look at how employee retention and recognition can further impact business:

· 65 percent of organizations that focus on frequent employee training see distinct advantages in first call resolution (FCR). Take the time to properly train your agents on how to maximize use of your call center solutions and you’ll see incredible results.

· Engaged and knowledgeable employees close 33 percent more sales or deals than the average employee.

· 57 percent of employees leave because they feel they don’t receive adequate non-monetary rewards or recognition for their hard work, while only 32 percent of employees cite “career advancement” as their reason for taking off.

· Biggest stress inducers cited by employees include an unmanageable or heavy workload, lack of opportunities for growth and advancement and long hours.

Perhaps most interesting of all is that one in two employees say that they feel undervalued while on the job, and three in 10 workers plan to seek employment elsewhere. Considering that the average turnover cost for an employee earning $8 an hour is $5,500, you can’t afford a high employee churn rate.